FORKS — Quillayute Valley School District officials celebrated quietly Tuesday night after an initial vote count showed that voters had approved a replacement four-year maintenance-and-operations levy by a two-to-one margin.

Superintendent Diana Reaume and School Board members had just left a board meeting when Clallam County Auditor Patty Rosand and Jefferson County Auditor Donna Eldridge announced results of the initial ballot count.

“It's just what I expect from the community of Forks,” Reaume said. “We have great support from our community for education.”

As of Tuesday evening, 987 ballots for the Quillayute Valley replacement levy were counted out of 3,242 sent to voters, representing 30.4 percent of the voters in the district.

The levy will generate $628,000 yearly from 2014 through 2017. The levy rate is expected to decline from $1.45 per $1,000 of assessed property value, or $145 annually for a $100,000 home in 2014, to $1.42 per $1,000 of assessed property value, or $141 annually for a $100,000 home in 2017.

Both auditors counted all ballots on hand Tuesday night. They expect only a handful to come in later this week.

A simple majority is required for passage.

The next count will be Friday in Clallam County. The next Jefferson County tally is planned when the election is certified Feb. 26._______